A Cat-Petting Session in Transfiguration Class

Morning sunlight streamed through the windows into the Hufflepuff dormitory, and Charlie was dragged out of bed by Ernie and Justin.

"Hurry up! We're going to be late for Transfiguration!" Ernie stomped his feet anxiously.

"This is the first class of the term."

"Professor McGonagall isn't someone to mess with—I heard she's especially strict."

Charlie opened his bleary eyes, his head still foggy.

Last night's adventure with the Weasley Twins had left him with hardly any sleep, and now he was dead tired.

"Just let me sleep five more minutes..."

Charlie buried his face in the pillow, his voice muffled.

"No way!" Ernie yanked the blanket off Charlie.

"You know what? I heard from an older student that some kid was late on the first day, and Professor McGonagall turned him into a frog—he couldn't change back for a whole week!"

Justin chimed in from the side:

"I heard it was a skunk."

"Whatever it was, it's terrifying!" Ernie said firmly.

Charlie sat up helplessly, rubbing his eyes:

"Fine, fine, I'm up."

The three of them hurried through washing up, grabbed their bags, and ran toward the classroom.

Along the way, Ernie kept rambling about the importance of Transfiguration and how strict Professor McGonagall was.

"She's the head of Gryffindor, and they say her Transfiguration skills are top-notch."

The Transfiguration classroom was on the second floor of the castle, and they made it just before the bell rang.

Quite a few students were already seated—first-years from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were taking this class together.

Ernie dragged Charlie straight to the empty seats in the front row, with Justin following close behind.

"Why do we have to sit in the front row?" Charlie complained.

"What's wrong with the back?"

"Of course we sit in the front!" Ernie said with a serious expression.

"That way we can hear better and see what's on the blackboard clearly."

Charlie rolled his eyes but obediently sat down anyway.

"Why isn't the teacher here yet?"

Justin looked around, only to see the podium empty.

Charlie slumped onto the desk, his eyelids already drooping:

"Perfect, I'll catch a bit more sleep..."

No sooner had he spoken than he buried his head in his arms, his breathing quickly evening out.

Ernie nudged him from the side, but when he couldn't wake him at all, he let him sleep a little longer.

After all, Professor McGonagall hadn't arrived yet—they could wake Charlie up when she did.

Justin twitched the corner of his mouth. Some friend you are, bringing him to the front row to sleep.

Just then, a tabby cat slipped silently through the door, leaping lightly onto the podium.

It had unusual markings on its back and spectacle-like patterns around its eyes, giving it an especially stern look.

"Wow, what a cute cat!" a Ravenclaw girl whispered in awe.

The tabby cat swept its gaze across the classroom, finally landing on Charlie, who was fast asleep in the front row.

It narrowed its eyes, its tail swaying gently, then hopped off the podium and walked gracefully to Charlie's desk.

Ernie and Justin stared at the cat, unsure where it had come from.

"Is it Professor McGonagall's pet?" Ernie whispered.

Justin shrugged: "Maybe—it looks really intelligent."

The tabby cat jumped onto Charlie's desk, sitting up straight with its tail neatly curled around its body.

It stared at Charlie for a moment, then extended a paw and lightly patted his head.

Charlie didn't react at all, still deep in dreamland.

The tabby cat seemed a bit puzzled—this is class time, isn't it? My schedule's not wrong.

It patted Charlie's head again, this time with a little more force.

Still, Charlie showed no signs of waking, only mumbling a few unintelligible words in his sleep.

The cat's tail began to swish, a glint of sternness flashing in its eyes.

Just as it was about to strike with its paw again, Charlie stirred slightly in his sleep.

His arm shot out, and in the moment the cat was stunned, he scooped the tabby into his embrace, clutching it like a plush toy.

He adjusted his position, rested his head on the cat's soft body, and continued sleeping soundly.

[Your Majesty manhandles the teacher, humiliates the tutor, Tyrant Points +5]

The system's voice didn't wake Charlie; he just mumbled a couple of times.

The tabby cat went rigid, its eyes wide as saucers, clearly shocked by the sudden move.

It tried to break free, but Charlie held it too tightly, and it didn't want to use its claws to hurt a student, so it found itself unable to move.

Ernie and Justin stared dumbfounded at the scene, unsure whether they should rescue the cat.

"This cat's really well-behaved," Justin whispered in admiration.

"My mom had a cat once; it would scratch you if you touched it."

Ernie nodded.

"Yeah, really docile. I wonder whose pet it is. I'd like to have one like that."

For some reason, Ernie felt the tabby cat shoot them a displeased glare, its eyes carrying a hint of warning.

He couldn't help but shiver.

"Don't you think that cat's eyes look a bit too human?" Ernie whispered to Justin.

The tabby cat swept its tail across Charlie's nose, trying to wake him.

Charlie's nose tickled from the furry tail, and he frowned, finally stirring from sleep.

He opened his eyes groggily, found himself holding a cat, and froze.

The tabby took the chance to wriggle free, leaped nimbly off the desk, and dashed out of the classroom.

Charlie stared blankly in the direction the cat had vanished, then turned to Ernie and Justin:

"What was that just now? Why was I holding a cat?"

Ernie sighed in relief: "Thank God you're awake. That cat came out of nowhere; you grabbed it yourself while you were asleep."

"Good thing Professor McGonagall hasn't shown up yet," Justin added, also relieved.

"If she caught you sleeping in class, she'd definitely deduct points."

They'd all seen how stern Professor McGonagall was during yesterday's Sorting.

Before long, the classroom door swung open, and Professor McGonagall strode in.

Ernie noticed her steps were a bit hurried, and her wizard robes were slightly disheveled, as if she'd just been roughed up.

Ernie startled himself with that thought—she was the head of Gryffindor; who could rough her up? Dumbledore?

"Silence!"

Professor McGonagall tapped the podium with her wand, and the classroom fell instantly silent.

"Welcome to Transfiguration class. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall." Her voice was stern and clear.

"Transfiguration is one of the most complex and dangerous branches of magic taught at Hogwarts. Anyone who misbehaves in my class will be asked to leave and never return."

With that, she flicked her wand, turning the podium into a pig that squealed noisily.

Everyone tensed up; no one doubted Professor McGonagall's words any longer.

"Open your textbooks to the Five Principal Exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration."

Professor McGonagall's voice echoed through the room, but inwardly she was fuming.

She'd transformed into a tabby cat to scare the new students into behaving, only to have Charlie ruin it.

Losing face in front of so many students, she couldn't bring herself to change back in public, so she'd run out to revert to human form.

Meanwhile, Charlie sat upright, but his mind was wandering.

As soon as Professor McGonagall started the lecture, a powerful wave of drowsiness hit him.

Last night's adventure had left him with hardly any sleep, and now his eyelids were fighting to stay open.

Professor McGonagall glanced toward Charlie, saw him sitting properly in his seat, head down over his textbook, legs bouncing steadily, and assumed he was paying attention, so she continued teaching.

Little did she know, Charlie had already checked out.

Even while asleep, he sat ramrod straight, legs bouncing rhythmically—a skill honed over years of schooling.

[Your Majesty neglects court affairs, indulges in sleep and sloth, Tyrant Points +2]

The system's prompt chimed in Charlie's mind from time to time, but he was already lost in dreamland, completely deaf to it.

As the lesson progressed, the theoretical knowledge was mostly covered.

"Now, we'll move on to your first practical exercise." Professor McGonagall waved her wand, and a match appeared before each student.

"Today's task is to turn this match into a silver needle. Remember the incantation and wand movement I just explained."

The students excitedly picked up their wands and began attempting the Transfiguration spell.

The classroom quickly filled with the sounds of incantations and frustrated sighs.

Ernie gently nudged Charlie. "Wake up! Professor McGonagall told us to turn the matchsticks into silver needles!"

Charlie still didn't respond.

Ernie was sweating profusely, shaking Charlie's shoulder nonstop.

Professor McGonagall noticed the commotion. She set down her lesson plan and walked toward Charlie.

"Mr. White, how are you progressing?"

Professor McGonagall stood before Charlie, her tone stern as she asked.

Ernie's face went pale with fear, and Justin beside him was too nervous to make a sound.

Yet, to their astonishment, the moment Charlie heard Professor McGonagall's voice, he immediately opened his eyes, as if he had never been asleep at all.

"Good afternoon, Professor." Charlie offered a polite smile, his voice startlingly clear.

Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "What was the task I just assigned, Mr. White?"